Executive produced by Sean Penn, Words of War is directed by James Strong and written by Eric Poppen. The drama focuses on real-life journalist Anna Politkovskaya (Maxine Peake), who is an outspoken critic of Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, specifically regarding the Russian military’s actions against the citizens of Chechnya. This drives Anna to the point where she cannot focus on anything but trying to help these people.
Of course, this drive and passion to interview the affected people and bring to light their plight paints a massive target on Anna’s back. However, it also distances her from her husband, Saha (Jason Isaacs), and children, Ilya (Harry Lawtey) and Elena (Ellie Bamber). It also causes friction between the hard-nosed, fearless journalist and her exhausted but supportive editor, Dmitry (Ciarán Hinds). But Anna knows what is right and will do anything to get her story, even if it costs her her life.
Words of War starts off a bit confusing. A mom is in the hospital, but her records have been erased, so the people close to this lady need to sneak her out. The point of this beginning is to set an urgent tone, which makes some sense. But it fails to properly introduce these people, their relation to each other, or why this person’s life is at stake. Instead of intrigue, it causes a small amount of confusion.
“…this drive and passion to interview the affected people and bring to light their plight paints a massive target on Anna’s back.”
However, once the bulk of the story gets underway, approximately 5 years after the opener, the characterizations improve significantly. Anna and Sasha’s love and frustration with each other are established very early on. Dmitry’s belief in Anna’s abilities sets up a lot of the leeway she’s given later on. Anna’s relationship with her kids is wildly different, but it feels authentic and genuine in both cases. Even some of the tertiary characters, such as a middle manager government employee, have a good amount of depth to them.
The cast is the main reason why these characters feel so real. Peake owns the film, serving up fierceness and determination with ease. Her chemistry with Isaacs and Hinds works wonders in portraying her relationship with them. Isaacs is terrific as the slightly beaten man who just wants his wife to be safe. Hinds gets one brilliant speech over halfway through and gives it everything it has. It is powerful. Lawtey’s monologue is heartbreakingly delivered with raw emotions.
Words of War is a solid drama about a remarkable woman. The story could be restructured to give audiences unfamiliar with the real Anna a better sense of her right away. However, once the main narrative unfolds, the emotions are genuine, and the story becomes engaging. It certainly helps that the cast, led by a fiery Peake, is impeccable and intense.
"…the cast, led by a fiery Peake, is impeccable and intense."
